


Peace (and cherry earrings)

by deutschistklasse



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Firelord Zuko (Avatar), Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Inspired by Fanfiction, Kya (Avatar) is a Good Parent, Light Angst, Tree Climbing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:02:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28600371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deutschistklasse/pseuds/deutschistklasse
Summary: Kya finds Zuko under a cherry tree. She thinks she knows how to cheer him up. She manages to rope in her schemes Zuko's personal staff too.
Relationships: Kya & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 116





	Peace (and cherry earrings)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EvieNyx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvieNyx/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Fractures](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20063656) by [EvieNyx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvieNyx/pseuds/EvieNyx). 



> Happy birthday, EvieNyx!  
> Kya could be a bit OOC, but I wanted to give you some fluff. I hope you like short stories as birthday gifts.
> 
> If I forgot to tag something, please, tell me. Have a nice day!

Kya found the young Fire Lord sitting alone under a cherry tree, in a rare moment of rest, his papers strewn around him and two of his guards standing further away. She recognized Ming, but the other guard was somebody new.

She was glad to see the young monarch outside of his chambers. It seemed, at last Keeli managed to convince him to get some air. It was peaceful in the garden, in the lazy afternoon almost nothing moved.

Some of the branches were hanging low, full of dark red fruits. Zuko stared at them, his face wistful, but he didn’t reach for them. Kya approached the boy slowly, then hugged him, kissing the top of his head.

„What’s wrong, sweetie?”

„Nothing. Really. I just… When I was a kid, I used to climb these trees. Azula too. We hid in the shadows and gorged ourselves on the cherries until our tummy hurt, and we could barely move. Then we snuck into the medical wing, and begged every healer we found to help us. Or better, I begged them. Azula just demanded help and secrecy. The healers liked us enough that they never told Father what we did. Mother though… She always found it out. She kissed us better, then scolded us, then read us a story until we dreamed about nothing but fire ferrets riding on dragons and singing ballads. I miss those times.”

Kya patted Zuko’s hair slowly. She knew that Zuko did have better moments with his family, with Lu Ten or his mother, but he almost never talked about Azula. When he spoke about her though, he was always wistful and sad. She grinned at him.

„You two must have been a handful. And I imagine you were adorable with your sticky mouths and fingers and twigs in your hair. I bet those healers spoiled you rotten.”

„Um, yeah… They always checked on us and got us toys and scrolls to read if we needed to stay longer. I thought that was because we were royalty.”

„No, I don’t think so.”

She glanced at the cherry tree too, then back at the boy.

„I need to do something quickly, but I will be back.”

„Okay.”

Kya almost ran out of the garden, leaving Ming and the other guard stationed here confused. After a few minutes of searching, she flagged down Lee.

„I need you to wait for me by the entrance of the Main Garden. Don’t disturb the Fire Lord until I’m back. If Keeli comes back before me, ask her to find us a scroll with popular stories or fairy tales.”

She left the bewildered guard and rushed to Pim. When she opened the door, Kya almost knocked her over in her eagerness.

„Pim, I’m going to climb a tree. I need pants.”

„Lady Kya, I don't want to be insolent, but is that wise in your–”

„ _Tui and La!_ I swear on every spirit there, if you say my age, _I’m_ going to _stab you_ with a needle!”

„No, of course not! I may have some pants somewhere for you…”

Fifteen minutes later she sprinted back to the garden. Lee and Keeli waited for her speaking softly between them. She told them about her plan and waited for their reactions.

„We are going to lift the Fire Lord upon a branch of that cherry tree, and you are going to let me climb that tree too.”

Keeli’s and Lee’s eyes met, but it was Keeli who voiced their doubts.

„Is that wise? He was almost assassinated last week. He is very vulnerable right now.”

„Keeli, please. I know what I’m doing.”

Zuko raised his eyebrow when he saw all of them approaching.

„Lady Kya? Keeli? What is it? Is something wrong? Why is Lee there? Did something happen?”

„Hush. Nothing is wrong. They are helping us climb a tree.”

„Why? Is this because of those old memories I told you about? That was a long time ago. I almost forgot what it was like. And I have work to do.”

„You worked enough. Now rest. Healer's orders. And I know. This is why we are going to create new memories.”

And what memories they created. Ming and Lee lifted Zuko easily up on the low branch, but Kya wanted to try to climb the tree alone. The only problem was that she never climbed a tree before. Ming and the new guard were polite enough, hiding their smiles, but Lee laughed his head off when Keeli composed a song about her efforts and sang it loudly. Zuko too began to snicker after a while.

After some trials and errors, she admitted to needing help. With some collective effort from them, meaning a mighty push from the guards and a pull from Zuko, she managed to sit on the branch too, panting and sweating, but happy to see that unguarded smile on Zuko’s face.

Keeli climbed up to them too with the scroll, doing it effortlessly. She handed it to Kya.

„I can’t read.”

„I can teach you if you want.”

After a short pause, Keeli nodded. Kya opened the scroll and began to read the story while the Fire Lord and Keeli picked some cherries to eat and some for cherry earrings. They suited Zuko. She read, and Zuko listened, with cherry juice on his fingers, leaves in his hair, and cherry earrings dangling from his ear, for once forgetting that he was the Fire Lord, enjoying the late afternoon.

_„Once upon a time, there was a pompous dragon, who wanted to be the first who…”_


End file.
